Infant&#39;s bathing device



Nov. 29, 1955 M, KENNEDY 2,724,839

INFANTS BATHING DEVICE Filed Jan. 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l 113 'M if M 1;;

INVENTOR Ban/W 0 ATTORNE S Nov. 29, 1955 2,724,839

D. M. KENNEDY INFANTS BATHING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1953 f //,.9/ FIG. 4

19 13 fray INVENTOR Dewey M Keir/ w? BY 73mg gum-d, WMWWW ATTORNEYS 2 ,724,839 Patented Nov. 29, 1955 fiice INFANTS BATHING DEVICE Dewey M. Kennedy, Rochester, N. Y.

Application January 26, 1953, Serial No. 333,106

2 Claims. (Cl. 4177) This invention relates to infants bathing devices of the type having a supporting frame including two pairs of foldable cross-legs with interconnecting upper longitudinal rails supporting a flexible tub, together with a dressing table arranged to assume an operative position overlying the tub and an inoperative upright position at the rear of the tub, and has for its object the provision of certain improvements in such devices. More particularly, my invention provides an infants bathing device of this type having improved foot-operated means for moving the dressing table to and from its two positions.

My invention is primarily concerned with a bathing device having a table which will both slide and pivot in moving to and from its aforementioned positions, and provides two operating arms each pivotally connected to the frame and dressing table, one at each end of the table, and operatively interconnected to be moved in unison by the foot-operated means. I prefer to use a foot pedal so pivoted that it has a rocking motion to move the table in both directions by pressing down on the pedal.

In one embodimentof my invention I provide a rigid metal table which may be made of metal, such as steel, and means so connected to the frame and table that the table is held in an upright position when at the rear of the tub. The pivotally connected-arms are connected to the ends of the table through links which can be arranged in two positions, one for normal operation and the other for packaging and shipping. In the position for packaging the links permitthe table to be swung to a lower position than the table assumes when in normal use and thereby requires a smaller package.

One of the features of my invention is that the lower portions of the legs are detachable and the pedal-operated table means is so constructed and arranged that it may be detached from the lower portion of the legs whereby the entire device may be mounted in a relatively small package; The device may be easily assembled by the purchaser without tools.

These and other objects of the invention will be better understood after considering the following discussion taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an infants bathing device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a leg at 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view at 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective end view of another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a leg at 66 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the lower position of the table.

The bathing device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 comprises two pairs of cross-legs consisting of front legs 1 and 2 and rear legs 3 and 4, both pairs being pivotally connected together on the rod 5. The shelf 6 is pivotally supported on the pair of goose neck rods 7 and 8 which displace the point of pivot to the rear of rod 5 so that the table bears upon rod 5 when in its horizontal position and is displaced from the rod when swung to a position parallel to the rear legs. The upper portions of the front legs 1 and 2 are connected together by the front longitudinal rail 9 and the upper portions of the rear legs 3 and 4 are connected together by the rear longitudinal rail 10. The tub 12 is formed of any suitable waterproof fabric, such as rubberized cloth, and is connected to, and supported by, the longitudinal rails 9 and 10. The hammock 13 is hung between the hooked rods 14 and 15 which are removably attached to the tub by the straps 16 and 17. The screen guard 18 comprises a fabric sleeve 19 supported by the wire loop 20, the ends 22 and 23 of which are bent at suitable angles to be inserted into holes in the rear legs for ease of removal and assembly.

The legs 1 to 4 can be made of any suitable material, preferably of tubularmetal square in cross-section, and the upper open ends of the legs are closed with square plugs 24. The rear legs each have a notched side extension or bracket 25 and 26 which receives the wire loop 20 of the screen guard and holds it in its erected position. The removable towel rod 27 has curved ends connected to the legs and supports the soap tray 28. This member is also removable for shipment.

in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the lower portions L of the legs are of sufficiently smaller diameter than the upper portions that they are telescopically slidable therein and may, accordingly, be removed for packaging.

Each edge of the table has a link 31 pivotally connected near the front edge of the table by rivets 31 or the like and a hole 32 at the opposite end into which the hooked ends 33 and 34 of arms 36 and 37 are inserted. The holes 35 in the table coincide with the holes 32 when the links are in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 and the hooked ends 33 and 34 are then pivotally connected directly to the table. In this position the table can be swung to the positions shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. By springing the arms outwardly and removing the hooked ends from holes 35, the table can swing freely on the links 31 to the lower position shown in Fig. 7 for packaging the device. The lower ends of the arms are connected, as by welding, to a transverse rod 38 which is pivotally connected to the rear legs and the arms must, therefore, move in unison. The foot-pedal means, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, comprises a pedal 40 pivotally connected near its longitudinal center to the leg 2 by bolt 41, having an extension 42 pivotally connected to the table-operating rod 43. The side flange or extension 44 limits the movement of the pedal when pressed downward by striking the under side of the leg. The short rod 45 is Welded to arm 37 at right angles and its looped end forms an eyelet into which the hooked end of the rod 43 makes connection.

The curved spring 46 of flat stock has hooked upper end 47 which engages the angularly bent portion of arm 36 as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The lower end is inserted between the rod 38 and a bracket 48 which connects between the leg 3 and rod 38. When the table is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the spring is under flexing pressure and serves as an absorber to cushion the rearward movement of the table. It also helps to start the return of the table from its upright position to its horizontal position.

By rocking the foot pedal 40 to force rod 43 downward, both arms 36 and 37 are swung forward, and with the assistance of the springs 46, the table is swung and pivoted to its horizontal operative position over the tub (Fig. 4). When the foot pedal 40 is rocked in the opposite direction the rod 43 is raised which results in turning arms 36 and 37 rearward to carry the table to its upright position of Fig. l.

The rod 43 may be disconnected from the foot pedal merely by unhooking the end. The leg portions L may then be pulled out, very effectively reducing the height of the device. The table is also easily removed merely by springing the arms 36 and 37 to pull the bent ends out of the holes 35 to swing the table down on links 31 as in Fig. 7. The screen guard and table are easily removable and can be placed in fiat contact with the folded frame. The shelf 6 folds into parallelism with the folded legs. Because of these dismantling features and the detachable legs, the entire device may be placed in a thin package about the depth of the upper leg portions.

The modification illustrated in Figs. and 6 is generally similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2 with the exception of the table and leg extensions. The table 59 has arms 6d connected to front bar 61 and rear bar 62 which bars are inserted through tunnels 63 and 64 in the fabric top 65.

The arms apply a resilient tension to the fabric holding it taut. The detachable screen guard 65 is similar to the screen guard of Fig. 1. The screen guard is removable by merely springing the metal frame out of its holes and it may also be placed in flat contact with the remainder of the device.

The arms 60 may be provided with any suitable connectors such as the brackets 67 for attachment to the supporting and operating arms 68. The hooked ends of the arms are inserted in holes in the brackets. it is understood that both ends of the table are constructed alike. These arms are both connected, as by welding, to the transverse rod 69 which is pivotally connected to the rear legs 81., and the arms 68 must therefore move in unison as in Fig. 1. One of the arms 68 has an extension bar 70 welded thereto and having a hole in the end in which the upper hooked end of the pedal rod 43 is connected. The foot pedal elements 40, 41, 42 and 52 are as described in Fig. 1.

In its rearward upright position, the table hangs by the brackets 67, the arms 68 resting against the brackets 72 and the arms 60 slide between the bracket and the longitudinal rail 73. When the foot pedal 40 is rocked in the opposite direction, the rod 43 is pushed downwardly, swinging the pivot arms 68 forward and causing the table to be slid and pivoted to a horizontal position overlying the tub. By merely springing the arms 68 outwardly, the hooked ends are removed from the holes in the brackets 67 and the table may be dropped down into parallelism with the legs 81 for packaging.

The legs 80 and 81 are preferably formed of wood, each having a removably connected lower portion L preferably formed of rectangular metal tubing. The lower portions of the legs 80 and 81 have parallel slots 82 and 83, between which is a central core 84. Two of the opposite sides of the metal tube are inserted in the slots with the central core entering the hollow tube. This provides a rigid connection whereby the leg portions may be readily removed or attached. To hold the lower leg portions in position, a screw 85 is driven into the core sufficiently that the tubular extension L slides over the screw head. After the extension has reached its position with the hole in the extension coincident with the screw, the screw is backed out sufficiently to engage the wall of the metal tube, as shown in Fig. 6, and secure the extension in position.

It will be apparent in view of the foregoing discussion that the infants bathing device of Fig. 5 can also be placed in a relatively small package by removing the leg extensions L, folding the shelf 6 into parallelism with the folded legs and 81, and placing the detached table 59 and screen guard 66 in close fiat contact therewith. It will be apparent that a container substantially no greater in depth than the length of the legs 80 and S1 is suflicient to package the device.

I claim:

1. In an infants bathing device of the type having a frame with two pairs of pivotally connected and foldable cross-legs connected together by front and rear longitudinal rails which support a flexible bathtub and a dressing table movable from an upright inoperative position at the rear of the tub to an operative position overlying the tub, the improvement which comprises means for supporting the table to slide to and from said positions including a rod pivotally connected to the rear legs, a separate tableoperating arm attached to each end of the table and to said rod whereby the arms are pivotally connected to the rear legs to move in unison, a pedal-operated rod connected at one end to one of the table-operating arms which extends downward along one pair of crosslegs and a pedal means operatively connected to the rod for moving the rod upward to slide and pivot the table to its inoperative position at the rear of the tub and for moving the rod downward to slide and pivot the table to its operative position over the tub.

2. An infants bathing device according to claim 1 which comprises spring means connecting the table to the frame to cushion the movement of the table to its upright position at the rear of the tub and to assist the foot pedal in moving the table to the operative position over the tub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,013,911 Burst Sept. 10, 1935 2,072,038 Kennedy Feb. 23, 1937 2,102,959 Kennedy Dec. 21, 1937 2,140,685 Baxter Dec. 20, 1938 2,253,995 Baxter Aug. 26, 1941 2,481,577 De Puy Sept. 13, 1949 2,524,873 Baxter Oct. 10, 1950 

